shot - no shot

[tdickens58]

I've gotten sucked into this and I need to go outside and shoot my bow before it gets dark! (:

Be back soon!

[Greg Krause]

I'll play.

I would NOT reccomend a shot here.
There is a shot but it is tough and you would need the right equipment. I actually know a few very good deer and elk hunters who would advocate this shot if you are point blank and can hit your spot with the right gear.

First off a lot of things would need to be in place for me to consider the shot. I would want to already be at full draw and see how I felt. If I have any signs of buck fever the shot is off right now. I would want to know that it is in fact 20yds. i would want to know that i am able to make the shot, like not at the end of season when i have done very little practicing for the past 3 months.

Ok, so i am calm, the deer is 20yds and I have been shooting very well on a regular basis.
Now my gear. i am shooting a 400 grain arrow tipped with a silver flame at 316ps. That gives me 88.71 ft.lbs of KE. with the strongest,sharpest best penetrating head in the world(imo). I have enough power to blow through any bone on a deer and still pass through length wise. If my shot is a bit off and hits heavy bone, I won't lose much penetration.

Now, i am up to it and I have the right gear. i chose #7, but I would actually want between the 2 and 7. the exact place you would want an exit if shooting from 180 degrees from your position(a perfect quartering away shot) there is a good chance that I will get 2 lungs and if i miss that far lung I should get the liver. the near lung is a no brainer, i may even catch some arteries coming up from the top of the heart.
If I make a mistake and hit a bit left i will shatter the deers front leg and get at least 1 lung exiting just in front of the deers rear leg. If I hit right I will still be in at least some vitals.

I was shooting this bow yesterday and my cold shots were on op of each other at 32yds centered in a 2" diameter bull. all of the following shots were at least in the bull.
as i said everything would have to be perfect for this shot, but it could be done. another thing is that most people say they get buck fever, if you have it the shot should be called off. it is rare that I get excited or get any signs of the fever until after the shot. when it does show up before the shot it is insane and I have to think about even shooting at a broadside deer. More times than not though I get super focused and relaxed.

Flame away

[bambeklr]

It might not be a good shot but i think I would release on the #5. Maybe a little higher than that and a little to the left. I feel confident you can kill this deer with a bow and recover him. I am not really sure if I would release or not. I guess you have to be there. I have killed deer with a shot around the #5 before and they didnt go very far. Like I said earlier, YOU HAVE TO BE THERE.

[BT]

I like skipmaster answer in one particular Way .... his equipment performance is everything in the decision.
For this shot....this is a very very important consideration.
You cant think that you will get an exit.....if you shoot (the correct spot) you have to know that your going to exit.

If you don't exit....you must have a fixed head.
An expandable will doom you to a loss on this deer if it does not pass through because the blades will not be of assistance on the run.
Why?....because a perfect blade is going to be cutting as the deer runs and as I pointed out....it is going to run and run hard

So....this is the hardest shoot - don't shoot thread I have posted as of yet and there is alot that you need to consider before releasing.
One of those things is the animal.
This is a true trophy animal and it isn't a simple target....no animal is.

If we are going to take this shot we should have the mind set of answering the following question....what would I want if this were my final hour ... Would this be quick?
(quick is what I want )
Where would I want to be hit if that was me?.... would I want to be shot in this position ?....would I die fast if I were shot in this area ?.

If the answer to these questions can be answered to your satisfaction then you are going to know where to shoot and if you should shoot

I have thought about this before and trust me.....I would turn sideways into the shot if I had to get shot
If I had no choice in position.....let me at least call the shot

[stilllearning]

I said no shot.
Let me explain why it is no shot for me.
I have been hunting bow for only 3 years and I feel that I want a quartering away or a broadside shot before I will shoot. I am not confident enough in my own ability yet that I coudl calm my self to make any of those choices with throwing it a bit. Silly yes but that is only what I would hope I would do. Adrenalin changes everything.

[royden]

Rifle #2 without hesitation

Bow - wait , pray and hope

The joint of the front shoulder is protecting the vitals too much - even 1" off and the arrow is gonna stop or deflect hard to the right. with all due respect even skips bow/arrow will deflect off the joint - it's a whole lot harder than a simple scapula or mid-point on a leg bone.

If the critter turns to watch the atv's and offers a dead on shot I would probably take #5. I doubt this deer is gonna run right away, but he might move around some first.

I would draw and wait.

[BT]

With this much discussion it seems as though the general rule of thumb would be to pass....no?
As I said....I have an idea but none the less....with this much speculation....is it a wise shot

[tdickens58]

I stand by my earlier posts This is not a wise shot with a bow. Let him pass.
I don't need a trophy bad enough to take a chance wounding an animal.

[BT]

tdickens58 said:

I stand by my earlier posts This is not a wise shot with a bow. Let him pass.
I don't need a trophy bad enough to take a chance wounding an animal.

Thats a wise decision based on the sound footing of knowing the game outcome potential

[stilllearning]

Even with the buck only tag that I have and the chance of not seeing another buck ............ not gona take the chance with a bow. Rifle is a hole nother ballgame. the deer would go down with a 303 british 180 grain bullett hitting him. Bow let him go.